Shepherd Center Physicians Among First in Nation to Receive Board Certification in Brain Injury Medicine

Ford Vox, M.D.

Ford Vox, M.D. works with a patient in Shepherd Center's Acquired Brain Injury Unit. Dr. Vox is among the first doctors to be certified in brain injury medicine in the United States. Photo by Gary Meek

Andrew Dennison, M.D.

Andrew Dennison, M.D. works with a patient in Shepherd Center's Acquired Brain Injury Unit. Dr. Dennison is among the first doctors to be certified in brain injury medicine in the United States. Photo by Gary Meek

NOTE: This story was originally published in February 2015 and updated with new information on December 5, 2016.

Each year, traumatic brain injuries (TBI) contribute to many premature deaths and cases of permanent disability. According to estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1.7 million people sustain a TBI annually.

Whether the injury is from a fall, motor vehicle accident, casualty of combat or other cause, these are typically complicated cases. Those affected have unique needs.

The Shepherd physicians with certification in brain injury medicine care for patients during what is often a delicate period medically. It is their job to predict and head off secondary complications, such as cognitive or behavioral problems, nerve damage or seizures, and provide the best possible care so patients can maximize their recovery.

These physicians pursued intensive residencies and fellowships, each with extra years of training, but it was only recently that the American Board of Medical Specialties began including brain injury medicine as an official subspecialty of physical medicine and rehabilitation (also known as physiatry). The first national board exam was offered in fall 2014.

“This certification process will help advance the field and ultimately benefit patients,” Dr. Vox said. “It helps assure patients and families that their doctor has a certain level of expertise and is deemed to be an expert in the field by a national body.”

The doctors’ years of practice have resulted in tremendous expertise. “The longer you practice, the better you get in treating these types of injuries, and we see so much of it,” said Dr. Dennison, who also credits the collaborative team environment at Shepherd Center.

Written by Amanda Crowe, MA, MPHPhotos by Gary Meek

About Shepherd Center

Shepherd Center, located in Atlanta, Georgia, is a private, not-for-profit hospital specializing in medical treatment, research and rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injury, brain injury, multiple sclerosis, spine and chronic pain, and other neuromuscular conditions. Founded in 1975, Shepherd Center is ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the top 10 rehabilitation hospitals in the nation. In its more than four decades, Shepherd Center has grown from a six-bed rehabilitation unit to a world-renowned, 152-bed hospital that treats more than 935 inpatients, 541 day program patients and more than 7,300 outpatients each year.